At this online event, we discussed two recent reports offering insight into why housing is so unaffordable, what its impact is, and what to do about it.
View the reports, presentations and event recording here:
2025 State Housing Needs Assessment, prepared by the National Center for Smart Growth, for Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development
Housing & the Economy, the Comptroller of Maryland
View the event recording on CSG’s Youtube channel
On Dec. 2, 2025, we met up to take a look at what’s been happening around the New Carrollton Metro station. It’s a Metro station, a bus station, an Amtrak station, a MARC station, and coming soon: a Purple Line station! We got a bird’s eye view from the top of the Metro parking garage and saw lots of progress and preparation for new housing, transit facilities, and even a bit of retail around the New Carrollton Metro station. Check out the Metro handout on all the building around the Metro station.
Tour Speakers:
Nia Rubin, Acting Vice President, Office of Real Estate and Development, WMATA
Matt Sanchez, Director of Development, Urban Atlantic Development
Vic Weissberg, Prince George’s County Dept. of Public Works and Transportation
Karen Guzman, Office of Prince George’s District 3 County Council Member Eric Olson
Ray Biggs, II, Senior Project Director, Purple Line, Maryland Transit Administration
Scott Gottbreht, PhD, Assistant Secretary of Policy, Maryland Dept. of Housing & Community Development
Alan Lederman, Managing Director of Development, Urban Atlantic Development
Pictured: Matt Sanchez, Urban Atlantic, speaks to the group, overlooking the site for the new affordable senior building located across Garden City Drive. Photo by Dan Behrend.
Co-sponsors: CSG, WMATA, MDOT & RISE Prince George’s
Pictured: Ray Biggs, II, Senior Project Director, Purple Line, Maryland Transit Administration, and Cheryl Cort, CSG. Background: Purple Line station under construction and the IRS building.
Join us December 8 for a conversation about two important housing reports—and where we go from here
Join us as we explore this question through a virtual screening of the video, What Luxury Housing Does to Homelessness, followed by a Q&A with creator and Falls Church City Councilmember Justine Underhill.
Date: Nov. 10 2025, 7 – 8:30 pm
AGENDA
Introductions – name, neighborhood, motive
How to testify
Peter Shapiro – How to have the most impact
How to testify – check in
3. Q & A – resource people
Resources
Join us this Saturday to learn about the Rhode Island Avenue Trolley Trail southern section.
Rhode Island Avenue Trolley Trail Walking Tour
Saturday, October 18, 2025
10 am-12 pm
Meet at: Busboys & Poets, 5331 Baltimore Ave, Hyattsville, MD 20781
Join us for a walking tour to explore how the Rhode Island Avenue Trolley Trail is helping to build a stronger, more vibrant community. See how the trail helps support local businesses, strengthens community bonds, and improves accessibility.
We’ll start at the front of Busboys and Poets and walk south to the new trail extension at Charles Armentrout Drive. This event is co-sponsored by the Coalition for Smarter Growth, RISE Prince George’s, the Capital Market, LISC & WABA.
Residents and community activists got together in Tenleytown on October 7 to socialize and talk about opportunities to build more sustainable inclusive and walkable neighborhoods, especially in Ward 3.
On September 29, 2025 we discussed the potential of the Bowie State University MARC station area to be a vibrant transit-oriented community.
Celebrate community and smart growth at Smart Growth Social on Oct 30 at 6:30 pm, Eastern Market. Connect with activists, public servants, and urbanists and hear from Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins.
